Sunday was a day when three was the magical number.
Bud Radis of Aurora took home his third Portage County Amateur title, winning the County Division title by a decisive seven strokes, burying the competition.
Brian Smith of Amherst won his third Open Division championship, beating Jimmy Wild by only one stroke in a hotly contested final.
Ed Marsinek of Streetsboro did his best to move up the leader board, finishing in second place with a final even-par round of 72 that could have been so much better had he not had a three-putt on three holes.
And Michael Avalon secured third place in the County Division thanks to a solid round of 75 and an eagle, a three, on the Par 5, 15th hole.
COUNTY DIVISION
Golfers could not have asked for a better day to play than Sunday.
Conditions were perfect at Sugar Bush Golf Course in Garrettsville for the second and final round of the 88th Record-Courier Portage County Amateur presented by Windmill Lakes Golf Club.
Bud Radis started the day five strokes ahead of the field and only improved on that initial effort.
It might not have looked like it would be a good day at the start.
Radis began his round on the 490-yard first hole with a bogey six but it was pretty much a perfect card from there.
Radis, who played his high school years for the Aurora Greenmen before continuing to compete for four seasons with the Miami University Red Hawks birdied the par-3 12th hole and converted 14 pars during his round, sandwiched between that first hole bogey and a bogey on the 18th hole.
That even-par 72 was the low round of the day, tied with Ed Marsinek for the best 18-hole rounds. His two-day total beat the entire field, both County and Open Division with all golfers playing from the same championship tees.
“I play golf on the weekends,” said Radis who now has entered the financial workforce after graduating from Miami.
It was a family affair for Radis with both his dad and his younger brother playing in the tournament.
Marsinek who started out Sunday in a tie for seventh place added that even-par round of 72 to his first-day 80 for a good-for-second-place total of 152, just two strokes ahead of Avalon.
Dove Fall of Windham, retired Bomber’s golf coach, had one of his best rounds adding a 74 for a 154 total that tied Avalon and was broken with a scorecard playoff.
Rounding out the top five was Derek Miller of Garrettsville. Playing on his home course, he added another 77 to the identical score shot at Windmill to also fire a 154.
Other golfers were happy with their success including Chad Brazill of Streetsboro who fired rounds of 82-81 for a 163. “It was my best two rounds competing in the Portage County Amateur,” said Brazill who plays every year.
Many of the golfers including Marsinek, Frank Livak of Brimfield and Randy Wilburn of Deerfield will return at the end of August to the same two courses to compete in the 48th Portage County Senior Amateur.
OPEN DIVISION
On the way to his third Open Division Amateur Championship, Brian Smith (above) had to be at the top of his game.
In a three-way tie at a three-over-par 73 with Jimmy Wild of Sagamore Hills and Matt Frey of Broadview Heights, Smith knew it was going to be a battle.
And it was.
Smith also had to watch his back for golfers coming from behind including Luke Liberatore of Solon who also fired an even-par round of 72 to move into fourth place.
Smith however remained steady, beating Wild by one stroke in the final round.
He knew it was going to be good.
Smith had an eagle on the very first hole and added another birdie on the front nine, finishing at one-under-par for the first nine holes on his way to that one-over-par 73.
Jay Propel of Macedonia also fired a 73 on his second day as did Ryan Stefanski of Sagamore Hills as the group made up the top five of the Open Division
WOMEN’S DIVISION
Macie Hysell (above), a member of the Notre Dame women’s golf team in Euclid had her own personal best, a 75, thanks to a two-under-par 36 on the final nine holes at Sugar Bush.
The tourney marks Hysell’s third straight title in the 88th Portage County Amateur.
THE TOURNAMENT
Many current and former high school golfers return to compete in the amateur, providing tough competition and giving their families another chance to watch them compete.
Current high school golfers including Laszlo May of Rootstown ad Luke Radis of Aurora, played well in the County Division and will give golf fans someone to watch during the upcoming prep season.
ONE LAST PORTAGE COUNTY EVENT
After three tournaments this week — the Kids Amateur, the Junior Amateur and the Portage County Amateur — it is now time for the 48th Record-Courier Senior Amateur presented by Windmill Lakes that will take over the fairways of Sugar Bush and Windmill on Aug. 25 and 26.
FINAL RESULTS:
88th RECORD-COURIER PORTAGE COUNTY AMATEUR
Windmill Lakes Golf Course, Ravenna
Sugar Bush Golf Course, Garrettsville
July 28-29, 2018
COUNTY DIVISION
1. Bud Radis, Aurora 73-72 145
2 Ed Marsinek, Streetsboro 80-72 152
3. Michael Avalon, Aurora 79-75 154
4. Dove Fall, Windham 80-74 154
5. Derek Miller, Garrettsville 77-77 154
Cole Smith, Kent 79-78 157
Chris Plute, Streetsboro 81-77 158
Philip Lago, Streetsboro 80-79 159
Nick Polichena, Ravenna 81-79 160
Laszlo May, Rootstown 79-82 161
Mark Mitchell, Ravenna 85-78 163
Ben Jenior, Rootstown 80-83 163
Chad Brazill, Streetsboro 82-81 163
Frank Livak, Brimfield 83-81 164
Alex Avalon, Aurora 81-87 168
Ryan Hostetler, Suffield 84-86 170
Luke Radis, Aurora 87-84 171
Mike Schustrich, Windham 88-83 171
Mike Williams, Mogadore 89-85 174
David Radis, Aurora 88-87 175
Randy Wilburn, Deerfield 87-89 176
Nate Wachtel, Streetsboro 88-91 179
Touren Roubic, Windham 93-87 180
Brian Binegar, Ravenna 93-99 192
Evan Chapple, Rootstown 94-91 185
Jaret Golgosky, Ravenna 100-94 194
OPEN DIVISION
1. Brian Smith, Amherst 73-73 146
2. Jimmy Wild, Sagamore Hills 73-74 147
3. Jay Prospel, Macedonia 75-73 148
4. Luke Liberatore, Solon 77-72 149
5. Ryan Stefanski, Sagamore Hills 76-73 149
Matt Frey, Broadview Hts. 73-78 151
Alex Loftin, Macedonia 78-76 154
Benjamin Meola, Painesville 79-75 154
Dennis Lawler, Hudson 77-79 156
Michael Furey, Twinsburg 78-80 158
Drake Tobias, Macedonia 75-84 159
Mike Brenner, Akron 80-80 160
Adam Belvin Cuyahoga Falls 81-80 161
Andrew Malkus, Maple Heights 81-81 162
Tom Jalbert, Akron 82-80 162
Dan Terry, Brunswick 82-81 163
Clay Mayor, Brecksville 84-82 166
Sammy DiMeo, Akron 82-84 166
Dustin Buehler, Akron 90-80 170
Thomas Smith, Fairview Park 81-90 171
Lou D’Amico, Sagamore Hills 83-90 173
Scott Reys, Cleveland 90-89 179
Matt Bright, Alliance 90-93 183
Bill Mooney, Brunswick 93-NC
Jared Budner, Macedonia 85-DNF
Larry Kerns, Shaker Heights 85-DNF
Jimmy Hinton, North Canton 80 WD
WOMEN DIVISION
1. Macie Hysell, Ravenna 82-75 157
Brooke Tessean, Edinburg DNF
